


Even the High Warlock needs some TLC...

by onefootintheboilinghotlava



Series: Malec Ficlet Collection [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I basically just decided that Magnus needs some comfort fr Alec as well, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 03:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8649586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onefootintheboilinghotlava/pseuds/onefootintheboilinghotlava
Summary: Set some time within the war against Valentine, even the High Warlock of Brooklyn needs some comfort and care after a particular brutal battle sometimes...Alec might be new to the whole relationship thing, he wasn't gonna just let Magnus wallow alone.





	

It was another battle won and since Valentine’s side suffered a great loss, they all could catch a break, or as much as you could when you were in a war. Alec had already lost count of the times he had called Magnus to conjure up a portal for him, so he could arrive at Magnus’ loft without fearing for any sudden attack on his way. And here he was, picking up his phone and calling Magnus once more. Alec would choose to take a break at Magnus’ loft over being in the Institute any day.

 

However, as the phone rang twice, it got hung up instead of Magnus’ usual cheerful greetings. Thousands of possibilities flew through Alec’s mind, from Magnus being kidnapped to his phone being compromised to Magnus didn’t want to see him anymore. Regardless, worry boiled in Alec’s stomach and he still walked to the entrance of the Institute, just to take a peek of who knows what.

 

A circle shaped purple mist was shimmering outside of the Institute. Under normal circumstances, Alec would jump into said portal without a thought, yet without Magnus answering his phone, he wasn’t sure if he should jump into an unknown portal. Just as Alec was contemplating his options, a grey tabby walked out of the portal, a piece of paper in his mouth. Alec knelt to greet the familiar grey tabby, he licked Alec’s held out hands and released the piece of paper to Alec.

 

_Follow Chairman Meow, I’m waiting for you, Alexander._

 

Alec read through the familiar handwriting and upon touching the piece of paper, he could feel the magic buzz of Magnus through it. Magnus had taught him early into their relationship to recognize his own brand of magic buzz, so that the enemy couldn’t try to pretend to be either of them to fool the other. The paper bore enough magic for Alec to recognize it, so he followed the tabby and stepped into the portal.

 

Unsurprisingly (or not?), Alec found himself inside Magnus’ loft, as the portal closed behind him. What was surprising though, was the fact that no only Magnus himself was nowhere in sight, the loft’s decoration had turned kind of…glum. Alec had been so used with vibrant decorations at the loft and the fact that it hadn’t been a battlefield, that he didn’t need to stay focused and observant to every detail that it took him a few seconds to figure out what was the difference. There were corners and a few small items that had turned to some shade of grey in the midst of all the colourful decorations around the loft. Alec listened in for a moment to determine where else emitted sound in the loft and walked towards Magnus’ bedroom. The grey tabby followed Alec until he knocked on the slightly opened door, Chairman dashed into the room, instead of waiting for permission as Alec was.

 

‘Come in please.’ The familiar voice of Magnus rang and then Alec pushed open the door.

 

‘So…I’m taking the last one went good enough, for you to come right here without any hesitancy?’ Magnus spoke as he sat up from his bed and smiled, yet Alec had been with him long enough (or you know someone quicker when you are both fighting in the same war somehow) that the smile took efforts. He could see the weight behind Magnus’ eyes, kind of similar to his own whenever his battle plan didn’t work out and they suffered a great loss on that day.

 

Alec walked towards the bed without conscious mind on it, mind focusing on the simultaneous amazement and unease, amazed that Magnus would put him first, ask about his battles first, feeling unease that Magnus didn’t feel comfortable enough to just tell him.

 

‘Alexander, are you alright? Did the battle go wrong?’ Magnus asked in concern, as Alec hadn’t replied immediately.

 

‘Oh… it was better than it could’ve been…’ Alec answered absentmindedly. Magnus gestured towards the bed and it dipped as Alec put his weight on it, sitting side by side with Magnus.

 

‘Wanna talk about it? Or should we start cooking a post-battle feast to take our minds off a little while?’ Magnus asked cheerfully.

 

‘You know you can just tell me, right?’ Alec blurted out.

 

‘Tell you what?’ Magnus looked confused, that only made Alec even more frustrated. As his mind came up with more and more moments of how Magnus would comfort him after a particularly bad battle or he lost someone he knew among the shadowhunters. Magnus would talk to him, let him talk, or just cook him his favourite food, setting up his favourite scent in a bath, or distract him with stories or the two cats playing around. Magnus had done everything he could for Alec, in the midst of fighting a war. Yet Alec couldn’t recall a moment that he had done the same for Magnus in return, and it frustrated him that Magnus didn’t show him, but also mad with himself that he never asked enough if Magnus felt alright, if he was tried after battles. Alec had never been so mad with himself, since the last time Izzy got shamed by Maryse over dinner when they were fifteen and he didn’t stand up for her.

 

‘That you’re not okay. That maybe the shadowhunters were fine from the last battle, but not your kind. That you want some more alone time? Or there’s something that I could do to make you feel better?’ Alec stood up from the bed and paced a little in front of Magnus. The silence from Magnus lasted long enough for Alec to stand still and to look at the warlock himself. Magnus seemed shocked, yet still frozen and unable to give a respond to Alec’s words. Alec knelt down to gaze upon Magnus’ face and held both of his hands in his.

 

‘Magnus…I know I’m not good at this, talking about feelings and everything. You’ve done everything you could for me, to make me feel more comfortable and provided me with a refuge in the midst of wars. Please…let me do the same for you? If I learnt anything about a relationship, don’t we stay there for each other? Not just you for me, Magnus…’ Desperation bled through Alec’s voice and eyes and Magnus still couldn’t find the words to say as he kept avoiding Alec’s gaze.

 

‘Alexander…would you please make me some tea? And bring Church in with you?’ Magnus said slowly. Alec seemed to echo Magnus’ pace in his actions, as he rose just as slowly from the floor and left Magnus a forehead kiss.

 

‘Absolutely, Magnus. Just get comfortable and I’ll be back before Chairman can demand more from you.’ Alec attempted a small smile to Magnus, seeing Chairman licking Magnus’ palm. Magnus nodded as Alec walked out of the room.

 

While Alec made tea, picking out a teapot and cups with ease while Church walk around his feet, Magnus wasn’t sure what he was doing, sitting on his bed with Chairman Meow laying on his lap. He was exhausted when Alec called him, but he tried his best to provide comfort for him. He didn’t expect Alec to actively crack through his defence. It felt like he got permission to be weak and reliant on others, yet he didn’t know how to do it.

 

Magnus was still lost in thought when Alec came back in, holding a tray and carrying Church. Alec settled the tray on the bedside table and gently put Church beside Chairman Meow on Magnus’ lap. Only then, he changed out of his gear, into his set of comfy clothes (that’s what Magnus kept calling the set of clothes he got for Alec)at Magnus’ loft. He slid into the bed and took up Magnus’ hands, kissing his knuckles.

 

‘Hey…do you wanna talk about it? Or just take a nap with me? Then we’ll figure it out later?’ To be honest, Alec was panicking internally at how unresponsive Magnus had been, still if he managed to stay calm for Izzy for the trial a while ago, he gotta do the same for Magnus.

 

Alec’s panic subsided a little, as Magnus finally leaned his head on Alec’s shoulder and squeezed his hand.

 

‘I’m glad you and Izzy and everyone is fine…but they retreated so soon at your side was because they needed to concentrate manpower on…killing the group of warlocks that joined forces to perform magic against them on our front…Ragnor and I managed to hit them with a larger blow after that happened and only then they truly retreated from most fronts, for now… Also thanks to the other Clan rushing in to resist Valentine’s army while Ragnor and I gather our powers…Not even Catarina managed to revive any of them…’

 

By then, Magnus couldn’t help the tears rolling down his cheeks and onto Alec’s shirt. He curled up against Alec’s warm figure and just sobbed. Alec could only hold Magnus tighter in his arms and kept his mouth close to Magnus, not quite kissing him but breathing in the man in tears.

 

‘Shh…you’re here with me. It’s not okay…but we are still here…’ Alec wasn’t even sure what he was whispering to Magnus, only knew every sob of Magnus broke his own heart as well. Somewhere in his mind, he felt guilty. He felt guilty about being a shadowhunter, about being glad they weren’t heavily wounded this day, only because the warlocks were paying the price this time, because someone else were being hurt and killed, because the shadowhunters had been so wrapped up in their own battles that they didn’t offer enough help to other groups that were fighting against Valentine as well. Yet all these tactical faults would have to wait until Alec got back to the Institute and see if there’d be anything he could do. Right now, all he could do was give whatever Magnus needed to him.

 

Both cats fell asleep gradually, as the steam from the teapot vanished completely, still Alec held Magnus tight in his arms until the sobbing finally ended. Alec let out his breath when Magnus finally looked him in the eyes.

 

‘Thank you, Alexander… I’m exhausted somehow…’ Seeing Magnus’ eyes rimmed, exhaustion shown through his face as he wore no makeup to cover any of it, Alec felt humbled somehow. To witness someone as powerful and confident as Magnus to succumb to exhaustion of a war and privileged to be the one who Magnus cling to, gratefulness, sadness and amazement flooded Alec’s heart.

 

‘Why don’t you take a sip of tea and we’ll just cuddle up and sleep? When we wake up, I’ll cook you dinner and talk about it? The tea is still warm, I used that thing to wrap it up, it should keep the temperature?’ Alec asked hesitantly at the end, scratched his head. Magnus cracked a laugh at it before answering.

 

‘Yeah’ it should and it sounds like a good plan. Would you please pass me the tea then, Alexander?’

 

Alec passed the tea to Magnus and returned it to the table once Magnus was done. The two of them laid down comfortably on the bed afterwards, hands wrapped tight around each other.

 

‘Good night, Magnus.’

 

‘Good night, Alexander. And thanks…for everything.’

 

The sun was still shining outside the loft and a few light beams got through the curtains in Magnus’ bedroom and shone down on their bed, as if they were keeping the couple warm in the bed in the midst of all the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> I basically wrote this because I felt like Magnus deserves some care as well, especially after my last one was so focused on Alec getting comfort, this fic is like my balancing act...So hope you enjoy this as well <3 Kudos and comments are appreciated!!! (Also...I so should be working on my secret santa fic, instead of this ficlet collection *guiltily run away*)


End file.
